“Run the money!”– that’s what Mayor Zenaida Moya told the then PUP government to do in January of 2007, when City Hall was demanding it’s cut of the head tax that is charged to every cruise visitor. Well, that militant chorus has resurged, except that it’s the UDP government who isn’t running the money to its own UDP City Council. Or at least that’s what Mayor Zenaida Moya says. We spoke with her today.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
“We, we are hoping to receive the full amount that is owing to the council. We’re hoping to receive those shortly noh? Whatever setbacks, we’re hoping that those setbacks will, will be ironed out, because the council does needs it’s money, so...that’s the situation.”
Jules Vasquez,
Have you all gotten your money? The complaint has been that you all haven’t been getting it since March. I mean how can that happen when it’s UDP on both sides?
Zenaida Moya,
“Ok, uhm we have not gotten the portion from one entity noh – in this case it’s the BTB since March, we have gotten it from the other two entities – which is PACT and the Fort Street Tourism Village. We are hoping that whatever, whatever hindrance that there may be that that will be dealt with very shortly and that we will be able to get our funds. I have all faith that we will be able to get our funds shortly.”
Jules Vasquez,
But how can the UDP be short changing a UDP municipal government?
Zenaida Moya,
“I won’t say that they are short changing ahm, they’re short changing us. I would just say that whatever holdup, now that it’s brought out that they will in fact ensure that they rectify the situation. All right?”
Tracy Panton, BTB Director
“We have been making payments to the local government tourisms development fund. We understand there is an arrangement between the Ministry of Local Government that they pay that tax to the City Council. We have a delay in the payment because of a concern with reporting and how the moneys were being spent. We were able to sort out that difficulty and now we are meeting our commitments as we should.
There is some reporting that is necessary for auditing purposes. I understand that there was a delay in getting the reports from the City Council to the Ministry of Local Government, that matter has been sorted out in a way that works for everybody and now we continue to make our payments to the local government tourism development fund.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is it an accounting failure on the part of the City Council, have you all failed to account for monies properly?
Zenaida Moya,
“No, whatever report that was asked of us, I must say that the financial director Mr. Davis has in fact submitted those reports noh? So I don’t see it as any accounting failure. It is there and Mr. Davis has submitted it.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is it a cash flow problem?
Tracy Panton,
“Jules, ahm, it’s not....”
Jules Vasquez,
I know you all had to pay $186,000 to a former employee so that has to hurt your cash flow somewhat.
Tracy Panton,
“It’s not a cash flow problem. I think that it’s the way we manage our cash flow. And there have been commitments that have come up that were not planned yes but that has not hindered our ability to meet out commitment to the local government tourism fund.”
A statement from the BTB late this evening says that it has made payments of over $53,000 in the past four days and almost $300,000 since mid June. According to the BTB, the payment for June and July, amounting to $41,000 is outstanding. The payment for July, which is $23,878 is due this week.
